Materials scientist and physicist Guosong Hong is an expert in getting materials to do remarkable things. Recently, he and collaborators used a common food dye found in snack chips to turn living tissue transparent, allowing light to penetrate through skin and muscle. Hong is now working to realize a new age of medical imaging that lets doctors see deep into the body – without surgery. It’s a miracle of physics but it could change medicine, Hong tells host Russ Altman on this episode of Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast.
Have a question for Russ? Send it our way in writing or via voice memo, and it might be featured on an upcoming episode. Please introduce yourself, let us know where you're listening from, and share your quest. You can send questions to thefutureofeverything@stanford.edu.
Episode Reference Links:
Connect With Us:
Chapters:
(00:00:00) Introduction
Russ Altman introduces Guosong Hong, an expert in physics, material science, and biology from Stanford University.
(00:02:52) Material Science Meets Neuroscience
How Guosong’s research blends nanomaterials and brain science.
(00:04:01) Why Tissue Isn’t Transparent
The challenge of light penetration in biological tissues.
(00:05:55) A New Approach to Tissue Clearing
The physics behind tissue transparency and refractive index manipulation.
(00:08:57) UV Light and Transparency
How manipulating UV absorption can align refractive indexes.
(00:11:17) First Experiments and Results
Initial tests that demonstrate successful tissue clearing.
(00:13:19) Applications in Medicine
The potential of transparent tissues in dermatology and medical imaging.
(00:15:36) Testing on Live Tissue
The results of testing transparency techniques on live mice.
(00:19:30) Transparency in Nature
How some species have naturally transparent tissue.
(00:20:52) Human Eye and Protein Transparency
The unique proteins that keep our lenses clear using similar physics.
(00:23:24) Wireless Light Inside the Body
The development of ultrasound-activated light sources for tissue imaging.
(00:26:56) Precision of Ultrasound Light
How precisely ultrasound can trigger tiny particles to emit light.
(00:29:14) Conclusion
Connect With Us:
Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website
Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon
Connect with School of Engineering >>>Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
